Fall is the perfect time to get outside with your kids and stock up on the free craft supplies that Mother Nature provides for you. Collect twigs, pine cones, acorns and bark that has come off of branches or tree trunks. Leaves on the other hand have a limited crafting life. Because a leaf is only its fullest while nutrients are being pumped through its veins, once it falls from the tree it will soon begin to wither and harden. You can preserve their shape by pressing them in the pages of heavy books or laminate them between two sheets of contact paper.

You can certainly use leaves in fun projects, but keep in mind that they will wither eventually. Because of this, I’m going to show you how to make two versions of these cute leaf people finger puppets; one with natural supplies and one with synthetic. Either way is fun and a great way to celebrate the coming of Autumn!

Supplies for leaf people finger puppets:

Natural:

cardboard tubes

pebbles or bark

leaves

twigs

wiggle eyes

Synthetic:

cardboard tubes

buttons

chenille stem

construction paper

silk leaves

wiggle eyes

Tools:

scissors

glue stick

hot glue gun

Natural Puppets

Begin by hot gluing the leaf to the top of the cardboard tube for the head. Next, hot glue the twigs to the sides of the tube for the arms.

Hot glue pebbles or small pieces of bark to the front of the tube for buttons. Finally, add wiggle eyes to the leaf head.

Synthetic Puppets

First use a glue stick to cover the cardboard tube with construction paper.

Next, hot glue a silk leaf to the top of the cardboard tube. Glue on buttons and wiggle eyes and add chenille stems for the arms.

These puppets are easy to make and kids will love having their own little puppet show with these cute leaf people!

Amanda

Amanda Formaro is a regular contributor at Make and Takes. She’s the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. You can see her crafty creations on Crafts by Amanda and her delicious recipes on Amanda’s Cookin’.